Daniel Bogard

Rabbi Daniel Bogard

Please direct all media requests to media@centralreform.org

Rabbi Daniel Bogard is proud to be a native St. Louisian. He grew up at Central Reform Congregation and spent his summers as a song-leader at camps Ramot Amoona and Sabra. After graduating from Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota, he spent a year teaching at Lift for Life Academy and living on Kibbutz Yagur in northern Israel before heading to Rabbinical School at Hebrew Union College in Jerusalem, where he met Rabbi Karen Kriger Bogard, his life partner.

After ordination, the Bogards moved to Peoria, Illinois, where they job-shared as rabbis at Congregation Anshai Emeth. Daniel also taught Religious Studies at Bradley University and directed Bradley's Hillel. In Peoria, he helped create the "Peace for Peoria" movement, partnering with the Muslim community to fight Islamophobia and antisemitism. This interfaith work was featured in "The No Joke Project," a documentary about his friendship with a local Imam and an Evangelical mega-church pastor.

The Bogards then spent two years in Cincinnati, job-sharing at Adath Israel, a Conservative congregation. Daniel additionally served as Rabbi in Residence of the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Ohio and as an adjunct lecturer at Hebrew Union College's Cincinnati campus.

Since 2018, Daniel and Karen have both been fully employed as part of the rabbinic team at Central Reform Congregation. They are proud parents of three wonderful school-age children.

Teaching and Learning

Rabbi Daniel is an accomplished educator who has taught at Bradley University, Hebrew Union College, and Eden Theological Seminary. At CRC, he typically teaches two to three classes weekly—Tuesday evenings focus on text study via Zoom, while Wednesday afternoons feature "Torah from Scratch." He brings core human conversation, classical texts, and creating meaning to all his classes.

Social Justice and Advocacy

As a child of CRC, Rabbi Daniel was raised with a strong commitment to social justice. His advocacy spans minimum wage campaigns, supporting undocumented individuals, gun safety, reproductive rights, LGBTQ equality, and standing with survivors of sexual harassment and assault at Hebrew Union College.

He has become nationally recognized for his work on behalf of trans youth, testifying at the Missouri State Capitol over twenty times. He is one of the founders of Camp Indigo Point, a summer camp for trans, gender-expansive, and LGBTQ+ youth that brings together 150+ campers from 30+ states for two transformative weeks each summer. His advocacy has been featured in NPR, The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Forward, Der Spiegel, Slate, Newsweek, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, and the Boston University Law Review.

Technology and Innovation

Rabbi Daniel has received grants to teach rabbis how to use artificial intelligence effectively and serves on the CCAR Task Force on Artificial Intelligence. His approach draws on chavruta (paired text study), using technology as a partner in understanding sacred texts while centering human connection and wisdom. His work has garnered national media attention for its innovative intersection of ancient practice and emerging technology.

Building Inclusive Jewish Community

Rabbi Daniel is deeply committed to the idea that someone's views on Zionism should not be a litmus test for entry into Jewish community. He works to ensure that our tent is wide enough to accommodate a huge diversity of perspectives, and small enough to keep out the bullies, whatever their policy preferences. He is a Senior Rabbinic Fellow of the Shalom Hartman Institute and continues to speak out about rising antisemitism while maintaining his commitment to justice for all people.

Leadership and Service

Rabbi Daniel serves on the CCAR Peace and Justice Committee and is a former member of the CCAR Responsa Committee. He has served as a board member of the Interfaith Coalition of Latin America (IFCLA) and Missouri Equity Education Partnership (MoEEP), and is an active partner of PROMO, Missouri's statewide LGBTQ advocacy organization.